


The Color of You

by spitfyah



Category: Among Us (Video Game), K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Awkward Mark Lee (NCT), Bottom Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Cute Mark Lee (NCT), Huang Ren Jun & Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Are Best Friends, LMAO i love all these Haechan tags, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Is The Sun, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is Whipped, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is a Little Shit, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Sad Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Soft Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Top Mark Lee (NCT), because his color is yellow LMAO, cuz he really is a sassafras, markhyuck-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27351181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spitfyah/pseuds/spitfyah
Summary: NCTxAmong Us AU. For my sis's b-day <3"I guess," Donghyuck says glumly, "there is one traitor among us after all."When foreign invaders enter Earth's orbit, twelve NASA trainees are sent on a reconnaissance mission that goes horribly wrong, and it is up to Lee Donghyuck to figure out exactly who is murdering his crewmates.
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, unrequited Johnny x Haechan, unrequited Yuta x Mark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	The Color of You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [honeygyu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeygyu/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brief note: I am NOT an astronaut, nor do I know ANYTHING about NASA, so please don't take the terminology too seriously! 
> 
> This was written for my lil sister's birthday- I hope I didn't butcher these characters too badly! I've never been involved in the NCT fandom. The songs are great tho (catch me out here playing Limitless on repeat...)

It's the screeching alarm that wakes him up.

Groaning, Donghyuck reaches for his phone, delirious, head throbbing and ready to go the _fuck_ back to sleep, but his fingers touch nothing. That's enough of a shock to jolt him out of wonderland, eyes opening to the dim light filtering through his dark room. 

His phone isn't making a sound. Instead, it's the TV he must have left on last night blaring an alert from the other room. And not just the TV; it sounds like every other alarm the Earth possesses is absolutely _screaming_ outside his shitty Florida apartment. A little startled, Donghyuck jumps out of bed and whips open the curtains. Cars as far as the eye can see are at a complete standstill, like something you'd see in any natural disaster movie ever; people are hanging out of their windows, screaming at each other, honking as if it'll help. The noise alone is enough to kill someone. Or give them a fucking headache. 

Donghyuck is tempted to go back to sleep. 

Beside his feet, his phone lights up, buzzing with a call; it must have fallen off his bed last night because Donghyuck can't be bothered to move it from his bed to the top of his dresser. Two missed calls from Johnny and an all-caps text of "CALL ME DUMBASS" are enough to have Donghyuck jogging back into his bathroom and slamming the door shut just to have a scant minute of blessed silence. 

"Hello?"

"Hyuckie!" Johnny's voice sounds rushed, like he's been running. "Where have you been?!"

"Uh..." Donghyuck tries _not_ to think about the bottle of cheap vodka he knows is somewhere on the carpet below his bed. "I've been... sleeping?"

"Jesus Christ," Johnny swears. "Turn on the damn radio and get your shit ready. I'm on my way to pick you up."

"Have you seen the traffic outside? It'll probably have to wait," Donghyuck protests snidely. He walks out of the bathroom and paces quickly to the TV; nothing is broadcast except for the red emergency alert screen. It reads:

_SENTIENT LIFE FORMS DETECTED CLOSE TO EARTH. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT SPEAK TO ANYONE WHO APPROACHES YOU. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANYONE YOU DO NOT KNOW._

"Holy shit," Donghyuck breathes out.

He can almost hear Johnny's smug grin. "NASA called for us, Hyuckie. We're gonna go fight some aliens."

\- - - 

Johnny pulls up on his motorcycle (how he avoided the miles of angry Floridian traffic, Donghyuck has no earthly idea) and shouts, "Come on, come on!" as Donghyuck wobbles out of his apartment with an almost overflowing suitcase. He barely catches the yellow frilly helmet that Johnny tosses to him and barely has time to settle behind him before the motorcycle takes off, pink and blue ribbons of his tiny Walmart helmet flying behind him in the wind.

"You're a big, gay sight to see," Johnny calls back, smirking. Donghyuck rolls his eyes.

"It's nice to know you think I'm worth a Walmart kid's helmet."

"Just be grateful I was even thinking about you, jackass!"

They bicker all the way to Cape Canaveral over Donghyuck's worth in helmets until his attention is taken away by a looming shuttle in the distance, the very shuttle that had been destined to take them to Mars next year. 

"All that training for nothing, huh," Donghyuck says absently. He feels apathetic, maybe a little disappointed, but he can't focus much on it as they approach the security check. 

Johnny is famous around here- popular with both the ladies _and_ the guys- but Donghyuck is more of an unknown, the mystery variable in NASA's trainee equation. He gets a rather strange look from the security officer who checks their IDs; raising a prissy eyebrow, he blows a big bubble from the gum he's been chewing.

It isn't until he's sitting in the briefing room with Johnny that he remembers that the strange look might have been directed at his child-sized, yellow and ribboned helmet, but the color drains from his face as the other group of astronaut trainees walk in. Leading them is Mark Lee, black hair done up in dreds; following him closely is Nakamoto Yuta, cat-like brown eyes catching Donghyuck's in a brief challenge.

With a poorly disguised scoff, Donghyuck pointedly turns around in his chair to face Johnny, who has a teasing look on his face as if he knows _exactly_ why Donghyuck is so peeved. But before Donghyuck can ask him what the look on his stupid face is for, a NASA official walks in, clearing his throat for attention. 

"Good morning, gentlemen," he starts, shuffling papers on the round table they sit at. Donghyuck moves his elbows to the table, hands on his cheeks. Mark Lee decides to take a seat beside him, big eyes catching Donghyuck's; Donghyuck turns away his face quickly, trying not to get distracted.

"I'm sure all of you by now are aware of the news." Everyone in the room nods. "In light of recent events, Aries Mission 1 will be postponed indefinitely."

The trainees all sigh. Donghyuck expected this, but though he tries to remain apathetic, a sharp sting of excitement strikes through him as the debriefer continues, "However, we have no time to waste now. A strange life form," he picks up a pointing stick and gestures to the chalkboard behind him, "has entered into Earth's backyard. You trainees are all we have on short notice."

"So you're gonna send us up in the Aries after all?" Yuta asks, arms crossed and feet up on the desk like he owns the place.

"That is precisely what I'm saying."

The room is silent. The trainees glance at each other apprehensively. Intrigued more than he is alarmed, Donghyuck shoots a look at Johnny, but only gets discrete acknowledgment.

"NASA needs you twelve to man the Aries and preform a reconnaissance mission. Communications have been attempted, but we must have all bases covered. You are to observe, record, and stay hidden. Files will be sent to us immediately after they are recorded." He pauses, icily scanning the room. "If any of you wish to leave, do so now. If you stay, there's no going back."

No one dares budge. Donghyuck finally spares a glance at Mark, who stares resolutely ahead, a very determined look on his face.

"Very good. You will be led by our finest, Lee Taeyong." The official gestures to the door and Taeyong walks in, head held high and red helmet under his arm. He waves at the trainees with a pleasant smile. 

"I'm excited to lead you all," he says cheerfully. "I was impressed reading over your files. NASA chose the best of the best to work with me!"

The cynic in Donghyuck would disagree, but some of the trainees hurriedly stand and greet Taeyong, including Mark, who looks like he might have an aneurism. Donghyuck remembers Mark telling everyone just how much he admired Taeyong since he was a kid; it was probably even inspiration for his hair. Taeyong is a living legend, top astronaut and the first man to set foot on Mars, NASA's pride and joy. 

Despite all this, Donghyuck can't shake a bad, bad feeling creeping up his spine.

\- - - 

They don bright, mismatched suits that are honestly such a fucking eyesore to Donghyuck, but Johnny looks a little _too_ happy as he shimmies into his dark blue spacesuit, modeling in front of everyone in the locker room. He draws laughs from everyone, everyone but Donghyuck, who stands away from them all. He apprehensively looks to his own suit, held out in his hands: bright, lemon yellow. He supposes it isn't the worst color imaginable. After all, he could be Moon Taeil, suit the ugliest brown Donghyuck has ever seen. Taeil doesn't look bothered by it, though- he's always been quirky like that, Donghyuck thinks.

His new, tacky yellow suit reminds him of flowers, flowers back at a place he no longer calls home. Or perhaps it reminds him of the sun, of too-bright lights shining in his apartment at three AM, crossfaded and looking at Mark's bright, laughing face and feeling elated just to be finally alone with him-

Yuta slams his hand on the locker beside Donghyuck, jolting him out of his daydream. "You gonna put it on, blondie?"

As a principle, Donghyuck doesn't condone violence. When he sees Yuta dressed in the most annoying cyan, he can't help but feel his usually in-check temper flare with the urge to kick his shins. Instead, he puts on the sweetest pretend smile he can muster. "What's it to you?"

"I see the way you look at him," Yuta teases, his eyes flashing in a challenge. Donghyuck stiffens, just enough to be noticeable. Before Yuta can continue his relentless assault, Johnny walks between the two, always alert to Donghyuck's cues since they were children, playing together in that yellow field. 

"Hey, why don't you give him some space? He gets performance anxiety," Johnny laughs, giving Yuta a big, contagious smile. Yuta smiles back, cat eyes lidded lazily, and gives Donghyuck a passing glance as he turns away and continues talking to Mark.

Mark Lee wears the black suit, matching his hair and his dark, brooding eyes. His gaze catches Donghyuck's from across the room; a brief, heated moment passes, and then Donghyuck whirls around, face flushed. He finally steps into his suit, trying not to dwell on the fact that not only Johnny knows his humiliating secret, but now fucking _Yuta_ too. And. . . 

_Does Mark remember that night? Or was he too drunk to remember?_

It doesn't matter, Donghyuck thinks firmly. This mission requires professionalism. He will _not_ let some silly damn crush ruin his chances at proving himself worthy of NASA.

\- - -

The Aries rumbles, shakes the whole earth, spews grey clouds and orange flames as it lifts into the sky, its crew strapped into their seats. Donghyuck closes his eyes, because as much as he's experienced the feeling he'll never not feel sick to his stomach. Well, that and the fact they're about to be spying on godforsaken _aliens._

What could possibly go wrong?

It seems like years go by until the jostling dissipates. Donghyuck opens his eyes and glances out the small window, but instead of seeing the gigantic alien ships like in the shitty movies, he only sees the Aries docking onto the station they will live on during the reconnaissance mission. Taeyong puts on his red helmet and strides to the middle of the room, the trainees starting to unstrap and follow his lead. "Ok, guys. No aliens have been detected in our airspace yet. This is my fifth mission stationed on the Scorpio," he says, gesturing to the docking process outside. "We'll have a debriefing and I'll give you all assigned ship placements once we've all entered and adjusted. Alright?"

A soft voice speaks up- Donghyuck recognizes it as Kim Doyoung, wearing dark green. "Where will the debriefing be?"

Taeyong flips his visor up and gives him a warm smile. "Doyoung, right? I read your file." Doyoung looks a little red in the face (from being the center of attention or something _else,_ Donghyuck doesn't know) as Taeyong continues, "We'll meet in the Cafeteria. If you'd like, you can stick with me."

Doyoung nods, sending a threatening glare to the others that start to tease him about his special "alone time" with the captain. Donghyuck turns to Johnny, who puts a strong hand on his shoulder. "You look a little pale, Hyuckie," he says, voice concerned. "Are you-"

Donghyuck groans irritably and shrugs him off. "I'm _fine._ I'm not a little kid anymore. You don't have to worry about me." Before Johnny can say anything else, he puts his yellow helmet on and follows the group of astronauts off the Aries and onto the Scorpio. 

His room is small; he sleeps on the top bunk, none other than Yuta on the bottom bunk. On the other side of the room Winwin Sicheng, who Donghyuck knows next to nothing about aside from the fact that he wears the white suit, sleeps on the bottom, and Mark sleeps on the top. Donghyuck will be able to see him at night from across the room. He tries not to think about it, putting his belongings on the floor as Yuta rambles about how he can't wait to do some stupid shit Donghyuck could care less about-

He turns around and comes face to face with black. It's Mark's broad chest, actually, and Donghyuck gulps, slowly looking up at Mark, who has an unreadable expression. 

"Can I help you?" He puts on his sweetest smile, but this time it might not be pretend.

"Um." Mark scratches the back of his head. "Do you know where the bathroom is?"

Crickets echo in the background (and Yuta's annoying chatter). "...I just got here."

"Oh! Right." Mark looks away, a strange smile on his face. "Haha. Sorry. I just... really have to pee, you know?"

Donghyuck laughs, high-pitched and awkward. Mark is fantastic at making him the most uncomfortable bitch alive. "Uh, me too, maybe we can try and find it together?" _Jesus,_ Donghyuck thinks to himself. _Did I really just say that out loud?_

Mark opens his mouth to reply but Yuta attaches himself to Mark's back, chin over his shoulder and staring directly at Donghyuck. "You guys having fun already?"

Donghyuck does _not_ like him, not at all. The sarcasm that drips out of his voice this time even surprises himself. "As much fun as possible with a roommate that won't shut the fuck up."

Mark stifles a snort and a contagious, growing smile behind his palm; Yuta looks comically wounded and even Winwin giggles a little in the background. Donghyuck makes a mental note; Hyuck- 1, Yuta- 0.

They all end up convening in the big cafeteria. Donghyuck takes it all in, the white and black diamond-tiled floor, three big blue tables, and a broad window across the far wall. Three halls lead into different sections of the Scorpio; all in all, it's a massive ship. Once they are all seated, Donghyuck huddled between Johnny and Taeil, Taeyong stands and says, "You all know our mission is to spy and do recon work. That involves downloading files from the various cameras we have on the outside of the ship. There are various other stations to be manned around the ship, and so I've looked over and studied each and every one of your files carefully. I've fit you where I think best." He glances to Doyoung, seated beside him. "Doyoung and I will be stationed together in Navigation. We'll be in charge of charting the Scorpio's course."

Donghyuck smirks as some of the trainees wink at an embarrassed Doyoung. It's obvious their captain has taken a liking to someone.

"Ok, pink," Taeyong points. "Kim Jungwoo. You and blue-" he glances to Johnny- "will be stationed together at Electrical. You'll be in charge of the ship's wiring and electricity."

Johnny and Jungwoo exchange glances, and Johnny gives him a warm smile. Donghyuck has always thought Jungwoo was a little bit of a nervous wreck; putting someone strong and confident like Johnny with him is a tactical move. 

More assignments are given; Donghyuck zones out during most, wondering what important task he'll have, and if maybe he'd be able to bump into Mark trying to find the bathroom. He tries not to smile. What a weird guy. Weird, but cute and endearing and-

"Mark Lee, black." Taeyong clicks his tongue, flipping the page of his notebook. They hold eye contact for a long moment, and Donghyuck isn't sure why. "You'll be in Storage, in charge of fuel and emptying trash."

Donghyuck thinks that's probably the worst job on the ship and feels bad for Mark. Taeyong continues, "And last we have... yellow, Lee Donghyuck." He closes his notepad and smiles. "You'll be in Security, watching the cameras. That's all I have for you guys tonight. Report to your stations at six AM sharp."

 _Wait a damn minute._ Donghyuck blinks. _They put me on the goddamn security cameras?_

The trainees get up and disperse, each to find their own station, chatting quietly with each other. Johnny tries to get Donghyuck's attention, but Donghyuck shrugs him off, on a mission to convince Taeyong that he isn't just some over-glorified janitor. 

"Sir," he pleads, catching Taeyong's forearm. "If I could just speak to you for one moment..."

Taeyong turns around with a sweet smile. "Sure thing, Hyuckie. Is it ok if I call you that?"

"Oh, uh. Yeah, everyone calls me that," Donghyucks stutters. Taeyong is kind and friendly despite his elevated status and it's easy to be comfortable around him, but Donghyuck doesn't forget he's talking to NASA's best astronaut. "So, uh, I'm not sure about being put in Security-"

A firm hand rests on Donghyuck's shoulder. Taeyong's serious face is enough to shut him up completely. "Listen to me, Hyuckie. You have the most important job on the ship. Right now, maybe it doesn't seem like it." He stares into Donghyuck's eyes hard, as if he's trying to tell him something he can't speak of. "Do you know why I chose you for this job?"

"No," Donghyuck admits quietly. He's on edge, feels his body stiffen; he hasn't known Taeyong for long but he's never seen him this serious. 

"Because on your entrance exam, though your physical score was low, you scored perfect marks in problem-solving and detection. You're without a doubt the best suited for the job on this ship." 

"But-"

"If you see anything suspicious, anything at all-" Taeyong points to a red button in the middle of the cafeteria on a blue table. "You press that button. Alright?"

Donghyuck sighs out. "Alright."

After they part ways, Donghyuck can't help but replay his words over and over again in his brain. He sits in the large swivel seat in Security, familiarizing himself with the computer screens, hearing laughter echo from somewhere on the ship. It sounds suspicioiusly like Doyoung, who is probably with Taeyong- turning, Donghyuck spots a vent in the floor at the far corner of the room. Scowling, he figures it will be an irritant later on, especially when the inevitable sounds of Taeyong fucking Doyoung over the Navigation table start to echo into Donghyuck's ears. He shudders with a sour face. He'll ask Johnny to bolt it with something soundproof later.

But as he settles into bed, careful not to hit his head on the ceiling, Donghyuck can't help but think of Taeyong's strange words. He can't fathom security being important; NASA has hand-picked these cadets, the best of the best. Perhaps it has to do with the aliens? The aliens that they haven't seen _at all_ yet?

"Hey," Mark whispers from the top bunk across the room. "You and I have some shit jobs, huh?"

Everything Donghyuck was thinking about flies out of his mind immediately. "Yeah. Sucks." He wants to say _maybe we can hang out,_ but it sounds a little too much like _maybe we can find the bathroom together!_ Cringing, he decides not to say anything. 

Mark sighs and they both sit in silence, other than Yuta's loud snores. Donghyuck remembers how determined he'd looked back on Earth, how he'd told everyone back when they were training that he'd follow in Taeyong's footsteps, become the greatest astronaut there was. 

"Maybe..." Mark tentatively begins. "Maybe we can hang out."

Donghyuck rolls over, back facing Mark, to hide the big grin that comes over his face. "Yeah. I'd like that."

\---

A week passes as the new recruits of the Scorpio adjust to their tasks, slowly learning the ship and its oddities. Donghyuck doesn't do much; aside from bickering with Johnny when he comes in to bolt and soundproof the Security vent, his days have consisted of picking food out of the cafeteria and carrying it back to his seat in Security, zooming the camera in on Mark when he passes by, and trying not to strangle Yuta in his sleep. There are no tasks in Security other than meticulous observation, so Donghyuck starts a log, writing down every little thing he notices, from the way Taeyong and Doyoung sneak around like they're having an affair to the way Jungwoo scares everytime a loud noise thuds against the ship. 

But the strange thing is, there hasn't been any sign of unidentified life. Anywhere.

It's off-putting to say the least. Donghyuck likes to gossip with his hall-mate, Huang Renjun, who wears orange and tends the Reactor. He's the biggest conspiracy theorist Donghyuck's ever met, and it's both entertaining and at times sobering. He also doesn't particularly care for one Nakamoto Yuta, and that's all Donghyuck needs at this point to befriend someone.

"Hello, lazy-ass," Renjun greets him, sauntering into Security and putting his arms over the back of Donghyuck's chair. "Anything interesting?"

Raising his eyebrows as he writes in his log, Donghyuck murmurs, "6:15, Yuta picked his nose and wiped it on the Admin wall. 8:00, Winwin actually had human interaction with Taeyong outside MedBay."

"My god, that's surprising," Renjun remarks.

Donghyuck snickers. "My personal favorite was at noon when Doyoung stared at Taeyong's ass for two straight minutes right outside of Navigation."

"Not so surprising-"

"What are you guys doing?"

Donghyuck slams his hands over the log and whirls around in his seat to see Mark at the entrance to Security, an amused look on his face and a cup of coffee in each hand. Aside from Renjun and Johnny, he's Donghyuck's most frequent visitor, and he's gotten into the habit of bringing coffee anytime he wants to talk with Donghyuck for hours on end. The only good thing about Mark's shit Storage job is that he finishes his tasks before noon each day, which means Donghyuck gets all of his time (and his coffee) in the evening.

Renjun shoots a mischievous glance at Donghyuck, who apparently is shit at hiding his affection because everyone on the damn Scorpio knows about his crush by now. "Oh, we were talking about the gay couple on the ship."

Mark just tilts his head, confused. Trying not to sound flustered, Donghyuck waves his hands in front of him. "Taeyong and Doyoung, of course!" He laughs nervously. 

"Oh," Mark frowns. He pauses, the wheels turning in his head. "Wait. Taeyong is gay?"

Renjun laughs out loud, slapping his hands to his knees. "Mark, you're a funny guy. That's the best joke I've heard today." He wipes wetness from his eyes and sighs as he exits the room, patting Mark on the shoulder, leaving him and Donghyuck alone. 

"It wasn't a joke," Mark says almost helplessly. Donghyuck tries not to laugh.

\---

Another week passes. Nothing suspicious happens, aside from Winwin starting to talk with _Yuta_ of all people, and happy-go-lucky Jeno, in lime, starting to come around the Reactor/Security hallway to see Renjun. But more importantly, there are still no signs of aliens, and Donghyuck starts to wonder if NASA was wrong to send them up here. He knows some have asked Taeyong, but he remains dedicated and positive. They keep downloading and transmitting files and files from the outer cameras of the Scorpio back to Earth, but still, everything is just... silent.

Donghyuck remembers what Taeyong said to him his first day, that his job was the most important, as if... 

As if the problem was not among the stars, but among the Scorpio. Among the _crew_.

He passes those thoughts off as delusions. Taeyong was probably just trying to appease what he saw as a whining brat and that's all. Donghyuck sighs and turns away from the cameras as familiar footsteps click down the hall. Mark should be coming back with his coffee; cheek propped up on the desk, he smiles, thinks of the many talks and the growing friendship they've formed over the past two weeks. But those negative thoughts come back into his head, and he remembers that Mark can't even decipher what affection looks like between men, that he probably only thinks of Donghyuck as mere entertainment for the two months they're on the Scorpio. It's hopeless to pine for him, yet Donghyuck _knows_ he can't stop now. He's learned that Mark's favorite planet is Jupiter, his favorite constellation is Andromeda, and his dreams for the future are bigger than both. He knows that Mark got drunk one night at his shitty apartment in Florida after they ran in to each other at a bar and they _kissed_ at three AM and Donghyuck will never, _ever_ forget. But it hurts Donghyuck because he knows Mark doesn't remember... or, even worse; he's _acting_ like it never happened.

It would be better if he could just eject Mark from the damn Scorpio.

Johnny walks in, carrying a toolkit with him, in Security to fix some wiring. He's always been astoundingly good at reading Donghyuck and can tell even when his mood is just slightly glum. "Hey, Hyuckie. You alright?"

Donghyuck smiles absently. "Yeah. It's fine." Johnny observes him carefully, but doesn't push. They've known each other since childhood; Johnny has always been like Donghyuck's protective older brother, caring and defensive of him, but as they've grown up, Donghyuck has started to resent the overprotection.

They sit there in silence as Johnny finishes up the wiring, rolling his sleeves back down. "Well," he sighs, "I'll be down the hall if you need me, ok?" Donghyuck nods and Johnny walks out after giving him a small smile.

As affectionate as Donghyuck can be, sometimes he thinks he's too good at pushing people away. Bitterly, he swivels his chair back to his desk and looks up at the screen that he's been ignoring for half an hour.

And he promptly drops his half-drunk coffee onto the floor. 

Outside of navigation, Taeyong's body lies on the floor, covered in blood. Donghyuck stares at it on the cameras, hopes that it's some god-awful prank that maybe Johnny and a few others pulled. 

"Holy God," Mark whispers behind him. Donghyuck doesn't even flinch. He can barely move, even when he feels Mark's warm hand touch his bicep. "Is that-"

Doyoung's devastated scream of horror echoes through the Scorpio. It shakes everyone on the ship; Donghyuck feels himself stumble into Mark, who is warm and strong and ready to catch and support him. But those warm feelings take second place to the death of Taeyong, and a dreadful feeling settles into Donghyuck's gut. If he'd been watching the cameras closely like Taeyong had asked him to instead of moping, none of this would be happening.

But it is, and Donghyuck starts to put together the pieces, why Taeyong had acted so strange, why security was absolutely necessary, why no alien life had been detected outside the Scorpio at all for two weeks. Perhaps the "aliens" that sent the Earth into panic were not truly an armada like in the shitty movies. No, there were no alien armadas. Perhaps... the Aries crew was sent by NASA as a test, a test to see what these advanced life forms were capable of. Perhaps... this life form was able to disguise itself as one of them.

"I think," Donghyuck whispers, "there's an imposter among us, Mark."


End file.
